Philippians 2

Therefore, if {there is} any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affections and compassions,

fulfill my joy that you might think the same, having the same love, united in soul, thinking the one thing. \*

{Do} nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but with humility considering others better than yourselves,

each one not considering the things of themselves, but also the things of each other. \*

Have this attitude in you which also {was} in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped. 7 Instead, he emptied himself, having taken the form of a servant, having been born in the likeness of men, and having been found in appearance as a man, 8 he humbled himself, having become obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross! \* 9 Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name {that is} above every name 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee would bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ {is} Lord, to the glory of God the Father. \*

So then, my beloved, just as you always obeyed, not only as in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For God is the one working in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. \*

Do all things without complaining or arguing

so that you might become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

holding forth the word of life for my boasting on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. \*

But even if I am being poured out as an offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with you all.

Now in the same manner, you also rejoice and rejoice with me. \*

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also might be encouraged, having come to know the things concerning you.

For I have no one like-minded, who will be genuinely anxious about the things concerning you,

for they all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ. \*

But you know his proven worth, that as a child with his father, he served with me in the gospel.

Therefore, I hope to send him at once, as soon as I would see {how} the things concerning me {go}.

But I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon. \*

Now I consider {it} necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister for my needs,

seeing that he has been longing to be with you all, and he is distressed because you heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but also on me, so that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. \*

Therefore, I sent him all the more eagerly, so that, having seen him again, you might rejoice, and I might be free from pain.

Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy, and hold in honor the ones such as {him},

since for the sake of the work of Christ, he came near even to death, risking his life so that he might make up your lack of service to me. \*